You've Got Your Short, Sad Life Left
by Chloe Kompton
Summary: Repulsion gel is eating Chell's skeleton, and she is going to die unless someone can help her. Story centered around GLaDOS, Caroline, and Chell. No pairings. COMPLETE
1. Subject Name Here

The doctors didn't know why Chell was sick, why her skeleton was deteriorating at an accelerated rate, but she herself knew perfectly well: it was the repulsion gel, the goddamned repulsion gel. The prerecorded voice had warned her not to get covered in it—of course, that was about five minutes too late. She'd managed to wash it off in a stream of water several chambers later, but by then it had already done its damage.

Now, six months later, she was dying. She knew that, and she knew that she didn't have very much time left. What a strange twist of fate it was that she'd survived GLaDOS's testing— been _released_, even—only to have it kill her when she was safely away from all things Aperture.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. While she had burned the official Aperture clothing she was wearing when GLaDOS let her go, Chell had kept the Companion Cube. She didn't know why, but for some reason, it still comforted her. So even in this hospital room at what she knew was the end of her life, she was keeping it by her side.

* * *

If GLaDOS had known Chell was sick when she allowed her to leave the Enrichment Center, she would have had her healed first, or, rather, Caroline would have. GLaDOS may have told Chell that Caroline was deleted, but the truth was that Caroline was like a pesky insect: she refused to go away.

Of course, now GLaDOS had learned to control Caroline's irritating impulses of kindness, had learned to stifle and ignore her. But before that, when she was just a new sensation, Caroline and her feelings had convinced GLaDOS to let Chell go. But not just that.

The Weighted Companion Cube functioned not only as a faithful companion but also as a camera. It was equipped with a lens, speakers, and a microphone, because how could GLaDOS let her da—_no_, dammit, _Caroline's_ daughter—just go out into the world on her own? Besides, there had never been another test subject quite like her.

At first, GLaDOS had kept a careful eye on Chell, making sure that she made it to civilization. But as time went on and she learned to silence Caroline, she had stopped watching. This was the first time in a long time that she had given into Caroline's emotions and chosen to check in on Chell, and now that she had seen what was happening to her, she was faced with a dilemma.

* * *

Chell had just closed her eyes to take a nap when she heard a small _click_ from the Companion Cube at her side. Turning her head to look at it, she jerked back in shock when she heard a familiar voice say, "Hello, [Subject Name Here]."


	2. The Courtesy Call

Chell stared at the cube, wondering if what she was hearing was just a painkiller-induced delusion, but the voice continued. "It has come to our attention that due to one or many of our tests, you have become fatally ill. Protocol dictates that we invite you to return to the Enrichment Center and attempt to correct the problem."

For a moment, Chell just stared at it in shock, but then, finding her voice, she croaked, "W-what? You want to _help_ me? Wouldn't you be _happy_ if I died? Oh, sure, 'now you only want me gone' and all that, but if I'd have to return to your stupid facility anyway, then wouldn't it be better for you if I—"

"You're not supposed to talk," GLaDOS interrupted, avoiding her questions but sounding far more offended than was typical. "I have it right here in your file: mute. Right between 'dangerous' and 'lunatic.'"

"Well, if I'm such a dangerous lunatic, why do you want to help me?" Chell asked.

"I have already explained to you that protocol dictates it," GLaDOS said. "_I_ would be happy if I never saw you again."

Chell paused. Something still wasn't right about this… "How did you know I was sick?"

Silence.

She sighed. "All right, fine. You want to _help_ me. That's not suspicious at _all_. Why should I believe you?"

"No, I _have_ to help you," GLaDOS snapped. "You are truly the densest individual I have ever had the misfortune to test. As for why you should believe me, the answer to that is simple: you should not. However, you _are_ dying, and without my help, your life will end within the week."

Just then a nurse poked her head into the room and looked around. "Do I hear voices?"

_Yes, but it could just as well have been the TV,_ Chell thought. These people didn't have the means to help her. GLaDOS did. She really didn't have a choice.

"Well?" GLaDOS asked. "Keep in mind that I only have to offer once. This is a courtesy call. I do not care about what happens to you."

Chell sighed again. "I'll do it."

* * *

Since the protocol GLaDOS had just created would be impossible to regularly enforce due to the fatal nature of the majority of Aperture's tests, she intended to disable it after the woman was healthy again. After all, Chell _was_ an amazing test subject, the absolute best. It would be a shame to waste her. And just as much as Caroline screamed in protest against her daughter being put through yet more tests, GLaDOS pushed her to the back of her mind—so to speak. She could handle Caroline, and she could handle her daughter, too.

There was science to be done.


	3. Protocol

**[A/N: Thanks for all the reviews; I appreciate it! :)]**

It hadn't taken much convincing to get the hospital to release Chell to her home. There was nothing they could do for her except "make her comfortable," and since she would be more comfortable at home, they had released her under the condition that a nurse stop by every few hours to check in on her. That had brought a slight smile to Chell's lips, since she had no intention whatsoever of remaining at home, but she had agreed.

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" the nurse who had brought Chell to her house asked her. "I don't know when you're not going to be able to move about anymore. I can stay if you'd like."

Chell shook her head, knowing that a nurse-as-babysitter would never let her leave the house, let alone reach Aperture. "No. But, um, thank you. Maybe when…maybe when it gets worse."

The nurse nodded. "All right. I'll go ahead and leave you, then, unless there's something else you'd like me to do."

"No," Chell said, "there isn't. But thank you again."

The nurse smiled. "Just press the button on the side of your wristband if you need anything."

Chell returned the smile, but it was forced, and as soon as the nurse was gone, she stood up and, with some effort, made her way over to her Companion Cube. "She's gone."

"Finally," came GLaDOS's voice. "Here is what you need to do to reach the Enrichment Center." She then proceeded to give Chell a long list of instructions that left her head spinning, ending with "…and take the Weighted Companion Cube with you."

"I can't," Chell said. "It's too heavy."

GLaDOS sighed. "Fine. Then do not have difficulties reaching the facility, because I will not be able to assist you."

"You almost sound like you care about what happens to me," Chell said with a small smirk. There was a brief pause before she received the expected response:

"Protocol. I am required to do whatever I can to help you reach the Enrichment Center. I still do not care in the slightest, and I have told you that."

"Yeah, okay," Chell shrugged, still smirking. "If you say so."

"I _do_ say so," GLaDOS said, sounding irritated. "If you are going to go, do so now. The Aperture Science Brand Repulsion Gel will have rendered you unable to walk in approximately six hours."

"And let me guess, it'll take me 'approximately six hours' to get to Aperture?"

"Correct."

"Great," Chell sighed. "Then I guess I'd better get started." She turned and slowly made her way out the door, each step a trial, never hearing the whispered "good luck" that emanated from the cube once she was out the door.

* * *

Back at the Enrichment Center, GLaDOS pondered why she had wished _that woman_ luck, and determined that it had been just because she wished to perform more tests. Yes, that was definitely the reason. It was certainly not because she cared for her in any way, shape or form.

Or was it? Chell's sickness seemed to be making Caroline more determined than ever to reassert herself. After GLaDOS spent some time examining the human psychology texts she had on file, she learned that it had something to do with human mothers' unconditional love for their children.

That could be a problem.

And there she was now, the _problem_, dragging her way through the field of wheat to the shed in the middle. The same shed she had been released from six months ago, because the entrance was the closest to the town in which Chell had decided to make her home. The difference between then and now—other than the obvious, of course—was that GLaDOS would NOT be allowing Caroline to sing her daughter another lullaby.

Well, maybe just one—NO.

Above Chell's head, a camera zoomed in on her face, but she either didn't notice or didn't care, just kept trudging on. When she was just a few yards from the shed, however, she tripped and fell on the ground, causing GLaDOS to stare at the screen with bated breath. There was nothing she could do to help her until she was safely inside the Enrichment Center.

Chell didn't move, and after a moment of considering the few options she had, GLaDOS creaked the door to the shed open. Chell heard it, and with some effort, lifted her head. A look of determination crossed her face as her eyes locked onto the open door, and as GLaDOS watched, she grasped the ground with her hands and began dragging herself along.

It took her almost fifteen minutes to reach the shed. She crawled into the elevator and leaned against the wall, eyes shut, panting heavily. The door closed behind her as the elevator started to move.

She was in.


	4. Old Frenemies

Almost as soon as Chell was in the elevator, she passed out, which didn't surprise GLaDOS in the slightest. She had barely even expected her to make it to Aperture. An orange portal appeared above an infirmary bed, and a blue one under Chell, rather unceremoniously dumping her onto the bed. She didn't even stir.

It would not take long to rid _that woman's_ body of the Aperture Science Brand Repulsion Gel poisoning. A cure had been discovered long ago. However, it _would_ take some time for her bones to regain their normal density, some time for her to heal enough for testing, meaning that she would require someone to "nurse" her while she healed.

And GLaDOS knew just the person.

Chell was not the only one who had benefitted from Caroline's bursts of kindness. No matter how much GLaDOS had tried to remind herself of what that little _idiot_ had done to her facility after Caroline had convinced her to let Chell go, she couldn't seem to stop thinking about him all alone in space. Well, not alone. With the Space Core, which was even worse. It had made Caroline feel terrible for him, so GLaDOS had activated his homing signal and brought him back to Aperture. The Space Core, she had left where he was.

As soon as GLaDOS had learned to suppress Caroline, she had felt repulsed about the whole business, but it wasn't like she could just fling him back into space again. Besides, the apologies and groveling he kept directing towards her _were_ quite amusing, so she refrained from crushing him and instead set him to doing the worst possible jobs she could think up, further serving to amuse her.

She sent instructions to the Intelligence Dampening Sphere informing him that he was to report to the infirmary immediately, then watched through a camera as he scampered off, eager to please. Inwardly, she smirked, imagining how angry Chell would be when she saw him. He would not help her to escape this time, not knowing the consequences that would await him, and would instead cower in fear while he received the verbal bludgeoning that was sure to come.

Yes, he truly was an excellent source of entertainment. Almost as good as testing.

* * *

Attached to his management rail once more, Wheatley scurried into the infirmary, sounding chipper as usual. "Hello? Is anyone in here? I was sent to—oh." He stared at the woman that was lying on the bed with her eyes closed. "Oh, no. I thought that— " His voice trailed off as he continued to stare, not sure what to do. As if on cue, Chell's eyes flickered open, and they gazed around the room before locking on him.

"_You._"

Eyes blazing, she struggled to sit up, and he backed away, looking frightened.

"I, I, I, uh, well, this is somewhat awkward, but I can assure you that I am not here to kill you. Not in the slightest. In fact, I am actually here to, uh, assist your recovery and ensure that—"

"Oh, shut up," Chell groaned, flopping backwards onto the bed.

"Right!" Wheatley said. "Of course. Right away, in fact. Although I would still like to assure you that—"

"Shut up. Please. No, actually, don't. Tell me why I can't sit up."

"Well," Wheatley said, looking more nervous by the second, "I'm not exactly sure. It's possible that you've undergone some sort of bloody dangerous experiment—"

"She hasn't undergone any experiment," GLaDOS snapped through an intercom. "Not recently, anyway. It will take some time for your body to recover and for you to regain your strength. The Aperture Science Brand Repulsion Gel nearly completely destroyed your skeletal structure."

"I don't think I have a skeletal structure," Wheatley protested before Chell could say anything. "And if I do, it isn't destroyed. In fact, I—"

"Not _you_, you moron," GLaDOS sighed. "_Her._"

"Oh!" he said. "Oh. Well. That makes more sense. A lot more sense, actually."

Chell, who had been narrowing her eyes since GLaDOS started speaking, said, "So you mean I'm stuck here?"

"Not for long," GLaDOS said. "Just until you heal. The Intelligence Dampening Sphere will serve as your nurse and companion until you are fully rested."

Chell glanced at Wheatley, who had backed as far across the room as he could from her, then at the intercom GLaDOS's voice was coming through. "You can't be serious."

"Oh, but I am," she said, sounding positively delighted. "Don't worry, I'll still be here too. So you won't starve to death or anything horrible like that."

"Great," Chell groaned, closing her eyes again. "That's a big comfort." GLaDOS didn't respond, but Chell was sure she was smirking.

"…So!" Wheatley said, edging a bit closer to her bed. "It sounds like you remember me. So that's good! Very good, in fact. It means you don't have the very minor case of serious brain damage that I suspected you might have the last time we spoke. Uh, the last time we spoke, which was when…I…was…trying…to…kill you…so maybe I shouldn't have reminded you of that…"

"I remembered," Chell said without opening her eyes. "Kind of hard to forget, when the person who was supposed to be rescuing you decides he wants to kill you."

Wheatley edged backwards again. "Sorry about that, by the way…"

"If I could move, I swear to God I'd have smashed you into a wall by now," Chell said. "So maybe you could just be quiet and let me sleep so I can get on with that later."

"You don't really mean that," Wheatley said with a nervous chuckle. "Right…?"

"Quiet."

"Oh, all right," he said. "But just one last thing? Before I get on with letting you sleep and all that?"

Chell opened her eyes just enough to glare at him. "Fine. Just one last thing."

"What's your name?" he asked. "You never did tell me, and I never did find out, and I thought it might be nice if I knew, so I could call you by it instead of saying things like 'Hey you!' to get your attention, since it sounds like you're going to be in here for a while—"

"Chell," she interrupted. "My name is Chell."

"Chell!" he said. "That's a nice name. A lovely name, in fact. Quite a fitting name, too—"

"QUIET."

Knowing that the moron would never be silent long enough to allow her best test subject to get the rest she needed to heal, GLaDOS shut off his circuits from inside her chamber. She would reactivate him once Chell woke in the morning. Now that her daughter was healed and in no immediate danger, Caroline's consciousness had once again been easily quelled, allowing GLaDOS to take great amusement in the obvious annoyance the Intelligence Dampening Sphere was to Chell, even though Caroline was unhappy about it. It wouldn't be hard for her to push the woman back into testing when the time came.

GLaDOS was in control.

**[A/N: I felt this would be more fun with Wheatley. But just as a small disclaimer here, this isn't going to involve Chelley. Probably.]**


	5. Lights and Deadly Neurotoxin

When Chell woke up, it was dark. There were no windows in the infirmary—or, as far as she could tell, anywhere else in Aperture—and all the lights were turned off.

"Hello?" she called. When she received no answer, she struggled to pull herself into a sitting position. "Wheatley?" Upon managing it, she found that not only could she not see any better, but now she was stuck too. "Anyone…?"

"Oh good, you're awake," GLaDOS said through the intercom, startling Chell into falling backwards on the bed. _Great._

"Yeah, I'm awake," she said. "Can you turn on the lights?"

GLaDOS made a long "hmmmmmm" noise like she was thinking about it, then said, "No, I'm afraid I can't. I'm very sorry." She still sounded delighted, and Chell wondered why she was still enjoying torturing her so much. Surely even murder didn't deserve all this, but then again, GLaDOS _had_ healed her, and she _had_ let her go. "But I'd be happy to allow the Intelligence Dampening Sphere to turn them on for you."

"NO," Chell said. "I just got up. Can't you let me have just a few minutes of peace?"

"No," GLaDOS replied. "That would defeat the purpose of allowing you a companion. And I am sure that you would not prefer to be left in the dark…all alone…by yourself." Chell groaned, and GLaDOS continued, sounding more cheerful with each word. "However, what you _may_ have is a few _seconds_ of peace. Three, to be exact. Beginning…now."

"Oh, come on—" Chell began to protest.

"—And ending…now," GLaDOS interrupted. The intercom clicked off, and a circular blue light in the corner against the opposite wall lit up and immediately began babbling.

"—and it's fitting because you're quite lovely too, and, blimey! It's DARK in here! When did that happen? Because I'm sure it wasn't dark just a moment ago—"

"Just turn on the light," Chell groaned. "Please."

"Right! Of course." There was a brief pause, the sound of Wheatley moving along his management rail, and no light. "Right. Uh, well, slight problem with that. See, I'm on my management rail, up here, and the mechanism to turn the lights on is near the floor, down there. However, if I were to detach myself from my management rail, I could probably—"

"Aperture Science wishes to take this moment to remind all mechanical personnel that if they detach themselves from their management rails, they will die unpleasant deaths," GLaDOS's voice interrupted through the intercom, sounding as sweet as ever. "And it will hurt."

"—die. I could probably die. So you see, then, why I wouldn't be able to do that, don't you?"

"I wouldn't be able to move you over there anyway," Chell told him. "Do you have any idea how heavy you are?"

"If that's a fat joke," Wheatley said, his voice adopting a hurt tone, "then I suppose I deserve it, but it's still not nice, and I'm not fat. And I've never called—oh, no, I have, but I _did_ apologize for that, so—oh, no, what I apologized for was trying to kill you, so I'm also sorry I called you a fatty. And an adopted fatty. And a—"

"I get it," Chell interrupted. "And it wasn't a fat joke. You're made of metal and I can barely sit up. But there's a light switch almost right behind you. Can you just flip it up?"

"Can't," Wheatley said. "I know you can't see right now, but I haven't got any fingers, remember?"

"Just hit it with one of your handles."

There was a small scuffling sound as he apparently tried to do as she had instructed, and then there was a loud CLONK—the sound of metal slamming into metal.

"OW!" Wheatley cried, zooming backwards—all the way into the other wall. "Ow again! Bloody hell!"

Chell groaned, closing her eyes. This could take forever. "Can't you just turn on that flashlight of yours?"

"What are you, crazy? I'm already in extreme pain!" Wheatley cried. "I don't need to DIE too!"

"You already know you won't die if you turn it on," Chell elaborated, trying to remain calm. "For that matter, you also know you won't die if you detach yourself from your management rail. I'm getting sick of the dark, so turn the damn thing ON already!"

Just then, the intercom clicked on. "Aperture Science wishes to take this moment to inform all mechanical personnel that only a moron would believe that turning on a flashlight could kill him."

"I am NOT a moron!" Wheatley yelled. He flicked his flashlight on, shining it directly in Chell's eyes, who winced and turned her head away. "Stand back! I'm going to detach myself from my management rail too!"

"—And only morons detach themselves from their management rails," GLaDOS continued. "So don't do it."

"All right, well, never mind about that," Wheatley said, calming down. "But you can see now, can't you?"

"Not with your flashlight BLINDING me," Chell grumbled. Turning her head hadn't helped as much as she had hoped it would.

"Oh! Sorry," Wheatley said. He turned off the light, and the room was plunged into darkness again. Chell groaned.

"Look, turn it on, but point it AWAY from me. Like off to the side."

He spun to the side and flicked his light back on. Chell smiled as most of the room was illuminated. "Perfect. Thanks."

"So!" he said after a moment of silence. "Um. So. You haven't been here for a while. Right? Because if you have, I haven't seen you, and I've been all OVER this bloody place, so I think that I would have."

"No," Chell said. "She let me go, so I left. Made my way to a town with my Companion Cube. Found some friends, got a job, got a house, got sick, came here."

"How'd you find your way back here, anyway?" Wheatley asked. "I mean, it's pretty well hidden, isn't it?"

"She gave me directions."

Wheatley didn't reply, and Chell was amazed that she'd actually managed to stun him into silence. "What?"

"Why?" he asked. "Why did She give you directions? She certainly didn't care about you when She was busy trying to kill you."

"Why did she bring you back from space?" Chell countered. "She certainly didn't care about you when she was busy plotting different ways to kill you. I'm not sure. I think it has something to do with Caroline."

"Caroline?" Wheatley asked.

"Some woman," Chell said. "She was a part of her. Until she deleted her, or, well, until she told me she did."

The intercom clicked on again. "Aperture Science would like to take this time to inform all patients that Caroline has indeed been deleted. We also wish to remind you that we do not lie, except when it is part of a required test protocol, and further insinuations that we do will result in a deadly neurotoxin being released in the infirmary. That is all."

"Well, that was odd!" Wheatley said, sounding shocked. "D'you know something? I'm starting to get the feeling She's watching us."

Chell rolled her eyes, and addressed her next words to the intercom. "Even _he_ can tell. Are you even _trying_ to be subtle anymore?" There was no response, so she added, "And you're bluffing about the neurotoxin."

Once again, the intercom clicked on. "Due to further insinuations, a deadly neurotoxin is now being released in the infirmary. We are sorry you could not be healed, and have a pleasant day."

There was a hissing noise, and Wheatley shone his flashlight around to reveal a green gas being released from the floor.

"Chell!" he cried. "We have to get you out of here!"

"Aperture Science wishes to take this moment to inform all mechanical personnel that attempts to save the insinuator will result in your own death."

"…Or not!" he said. "But understand that I would like to, I really would, but you understand why I can't, don't you? I'm sorry!"

Chell groaned. He was so _useless_ when he got scared. "GLaDOS!" she said. "Come on, we both know you didn't bring me here and go to all the trouble of healing me just to kill me now!"

There was a pause, and then, "To survive, all you must do is apologize for insinuating."

"Yeah, well, you apologize for eavesdropping!" Chell fired back.

"You have twenty seconds."

With effort, Chell crossed her arms and glared at the intercom. She said nothing.

"_Chell!_" Wheatley yelled. "Look, _I'm_ sorry, all right? I'm sorry _for_ her!"

"Ten seconds."

"_Chell!_"

Chell began to cough. It was getting harder and harder for her to breathe.

"Five seconds…four seconds…three seconds…"

Wheatley looked back and forth from the intercom to the woman, feeling helpless.

"Two seconds…one second…"

All of a sudden, the gas stopped hissing and several vents opened all around the infirmary, sucking the neurotoxin in and pumping oxygen out. Although still coughing, Chell took a large breath of fresh air and closed her eyes in relief. It had been a gamble, and she had won.

"…What?" Wheatley asked, staring at Chell. He had squeezed his optic shut for the final second, and was now confused about what was happening. "Shouldn't you be dead? Not that I'm disappointed or anything like that! Because I'm not. But…_what?_"

"Due to insufficient neurotoxin levels," came GLaDOS's voice, "we were unable to eliminate the insinuator. The neurotoxin already released is being pumped back so that we may reuse it later."

Chell grinned through her coughs. _Yeah. That's what I thought._ She had a pretty good grasp on how "deadly neurotoxin" worked after researching it extensively for a few months, and she knew that if GLaDOS had left it in the room, sooner rather than later she would have inhaled enough of it for it to kill her. That could only mean one thing.

Caroline was still alive.

**[A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews! I really appreciate it. :'D]**


	6. Pleasant Dreams

Something was wrong.

There had certainly been enough neurotoxin to kill _that woman_ with. A fatal amount had even already been released into the infirmary—before she had decided to vacuum it out, that is.

Why had she done that? Why had she not simply carried through with her threat? Before _she_ came along, she had always carried through with her threats.

And oh, sure, she could pretend that it was Caroline, but…no, not this time. GLaDOS had gone back through her records of the crucial moment hundreds of times already, and she could see that Caroline had not been present. In fact, as she went through her files from the past few days, she could see that Caroline hadn't been there during many moments of emotion.

So what the hell was going on?

* * *

Chell had no idea who Caroline was, but she did know that she was human, and she also knew that a human influence—the "conscience" GLaDOS had spoken about so long ago?—was the only thing that could have saved her life. But, "still alive," was that the right wording to use? Was living inside a computer "life," _per se_? Chell didn't know, and she hoped she never had to find out.

Wheatley was all the way across the room again, looking extremely nervous. "I…uh, look, Chell, I'm sorry I couldn't help, I really am, and if you want to smash me against the wall even more now than you did before, then I can't say I'd blame you, but I truly am sorry, and—"

"It's fine," Chell interrupted, her thoughts still on Caroline.

"It _is?_" Wheatley asked. "I mean, not that there's any reason why it _shouldn't_ be, but you've never really seemed like the forgiving _type,_ and—"

"If it'll get you to shut up, then it's fine."

Wheatley was silent for a moment, but then his face brightened and he said, "Hey! You're human, right? Of course you are! And humans need to eat, so—I'll be right back."

Now that he mentioned it, her stomach _was_ growling. "Where are you going?"

"To find you some food, of course!" he called as he zoomed off.

She stared after him, thankful to have some peace at last, but at the same time, resentful that he'd left her alone. At least it wasn't dark, though. The lights were on, and she didn't know when that had happened, but she assumed GLaDOS must have turned them on at some point when she was releasing the neurotoxin.

"When the Intelligence Dampening Sphere returns," GLaDOS's voice said through the intercom, disrupting Chell's short-lived peace, "you may inform him that there is food in the corner."

Chell glanced at it and, sure enough, there was an ancient-looking refrigerator within reach of Wheatley's management rail. "You couldn't have told us that before?"

"No," GLaDOS said cheerfully. "That would have deprived you of the chance to experience the feeling of hunger."

"I _know_ what hunger feels like," Chell grumbled. "But since we're talking, what was that all about with the neurotoxin?"

"A simple equipment malfunction," GLaDOS said. "In layman's terms, I ran out."

"No," Chell said. "There was already enough in here to kill me. And then you vacuumed it all out. Why?"

"No, there wasn't."

"Yes, there _was,_" Chell insisted. "I've done a lot of research over the past six months. I know what I'm talking about."

"Clearly, you don't," GLaDOS snipped. "Or maybe you just have some sort of twisted death wish that you expect me to fulfill, in which case I apologize for the disappointment."

"Coming back here voluntarily? I must," Chell muttered. "But fine. If you're not going to tell me about that, then let's talk about Caroline."

"There is nothing to talk about. Caroline was deleted months ago. You were here. Is your memory really that poor?"

"Yeah, well, that's what you say, but I'm not so sure," Chell said, ignoring the jab. "I don't think anything but a human could have stopped you from neurotoxining me to death."

"You would think that, wouldn't you?" GLaDOS asked, sounding more contemplative than irritated.

"What do you mean by that?"

There was a pause, and then, "The gas I am now releasing into the infirmary will knock you out, but it will also speed up your recovery, and perhaps once you have rested, you will have forgotten these ridiculous notions of yours." There was a hiss, and as Chell looked down, she couldn't see the gas being released, but she could already smell it.

"No, GLaDOS, don't, I—"

"Pleasant dreams, Chell," GLaDOS said, and for the life of her, Chell couldn't detect a hint of malice in her voice. "When you awake, I am certain that you will feel much better…well enough for some _exercise_, perhaps."

There it was, the malice.

"You used my name," Chell said. She was starting to feel drowsy as the gas continued to hiss into the room, and was finding it more and more difficult to focus. "You…you've never…I don't want…to…please don't…"

"This is for your own good," GLaDOS informed Chell as her eyes finally flickered closed, leaving GLaDOS feeling almost…guilty. But why? She had no reason to. The woman would sleep now, sped along on her way to recovery.

And it wasn't only guilt. She also seemed to have developed mixed feelings about the woman's future. On one hand, she wanted to get her healed as quickly as possible so that she could begin testing again, but on the other, she wanted her to be able to leave. Wanted her to be able to continue her life far away from Aperture, and Caroline was only barely present.

How could this happen to her?

"Chell!" Wheatley called as he entered the infirmary. "I couldn't find you any food, but I—oh, you're asleep again. Blimey! You humans sure sleep a lot, but I suppose I'll be quiet now, so that you can rest."

"She's not asleep, she's unconscious," GLaDOS informed him, watching with pleasure as he jerked backwards, startled. "And you are to report to my test chamber immediately."

"I…I am?" Wheatley asked, suddenly sounding terrified. "I-if this is because I couldn't find her any food, then I'm sorry, and—"

"You're not in any trouble, you moron," she sighed, then added a pointed "…yet."

"Not a moron," he mumbled. "But all right! I'm on my way!"

GLaDOS watched through a camera as he turned around and sped off for her chamber. Maybe something was affecting her ability to deal objectively with _that woman_, but she felt no hindering feelings towards the Intelligence Dampening Sphere, and she needed _someone_ to take out her frustrations on.

She gave an inward smile. He was still not as entertaining as testing, but he would suffice.


	7. Apologies and Death Threats

"H-hello," Wheatley said nervously as he slid his way into GLaDOS's chamber. "So you said you wanted to see me, and I thought, why not? Well, actually, it was more like that I thought I should get down here. Now. Because otherwise I might wind up in space again, and, ah, space, didn't like that. Not one bit."

"What an intriguing idea," GLaDOS said, chuckling as he flinched. "It would certainly be much quieter if you were to be in space again."

"No!" he said. "No, I'll be quiet, I promise!"

"Of course you won't be," she replied. "But that is not why you are here. In approximately forty-eight hours, the woman in the infirmary will awaken. At that point, you are to sedate her and alert me so that I may move her to a testing track."

"…What?" he asked, not sure he'd heard her correctly. "You want me to what?"

"Sedate her and alert me once you have done so," she sighed. "This is a simple concept, you moron. Try to grasp it."

He bit back the impulse to inform her that he was not a moron. "I…but…why can't you just move her there now? She's already asleep and all, so—"

"The long answer is that I believe the look on her face will be amusing, as will be the apologies you will undoubtedly profess. The short answer is because I told you what to do, and you will do it."

"But you said you weren't going to test her anymore," Wheatley protested. "In fact, I'm almost one hundred percent positive you said that you were going to let her go. And testing her is actually the exact opposite of—"

"I told you what to do," she interrupted, narrowing her optic and jerking her head so close to him that he flinched away, "and it won't be a problem, _will_ it, you moron?"

"No!" he said, backing all the way to the end of her chamber. "Of course not. Not a problem at all. Except, I'm, ah, I'mnotamoron. But I'll get right on it! Waiting, that is, waiting for her to wake up. Because she's asleep. And will stay asleep. For a while. Right? That is what you said, right?"

"Oh, that brings up another point," GLaDOS told him. "Before you sedate her, feed her. There is a refrigerator in the corner of the room. It has food in it. _Don't_ take out any of the food until she is awake, or you will ruin it."

"You…you want me to _talk_ to her?" he squeaked. "Before I sedate her and all that?"

"Yes," she said. "And that won't be a problem either, will it?"

"No!"

"Then go."

"Right! Going," he said. "Going, going, gone. Right now, actually." He spun around on his management rail and zoomed off, leaving GLaDOS to enjoy his discomfort and her victory.

But something was wrong. She couldn't. She felt horrible. Not about the Intelligence Dampening Sphere, but about what she was asking him to do. She had built up Chell's trust, and now she was about to lose it again.

Why did she care _so much_ about losing it?

* * *

When Chell finally opened her eyes, she felt much better than she had the last time she was awake, but that still didn't make her any happier about being forced into unconsciousness. The next time she heard GLaDOS's voice, they were going to have a talk—one that hopefully didn't end in any sort of gas being released into the infirmary.

"Chell!" Wheatley said from the corner. "You're awake, and that's…that's good."

"Yeah," she said, easily sitting up. "I feel better. Maybe well enough to walk out of here." He gave a nervous chuckle that she ignored, and continued. "But I'm hungry. Like, really hungry. What was in that gas?"

"I'm, ah, I'm not sure," he said, sounding much more nervous than usual. "I think it was some sort of altered stasis-inducer."

"Altered so that I'd be hungry?" she groaned. "Of course. That's so typical. But I am. Hungry, that is. There's a fridge in the corner."

"Can you walk to it?" he asked. "Or if you want, I can try and get it open, which shouldn't be too difficult, but the tricky part is where I try to get the food out—"

"I think I can do it," Chell said. "Thanks, Wheatley." She smiled at him as she slowly stood up, bracing against the wall for balance at first and then shifting to her own two feet. "Yeah. This is better. Lots better, actually. But," she said to the intercom, "you still could have asked first."

A noise came from the intercom that resembled a derisive snort.

"What, are you only going to talk to me when he's not here?" Chell asked as she made her way to the refrigerator. There was no response, and she sighed. "I guess so. Wheatley, can you open this? I'm afraid I might lose my balance if I try."

"Of course!" he said. "Like I said, that's the easy bit. Just stand back for a moment, would you?"

She nodded, and used the wall to take a few steps backwards. The door swung open, and she stepped forward again to examine the contents. "Bread and cheese. That's great. Really nutritious."

"There's probably some beans in one of the cabinets," Wheatley said helpfully. Chell made a face.

"I'll just have some bread and cheese. And not look at the expiration date."

With some effort, she managed to get a few slices of bread and cheese out of their packaging. She sat down on the floor and began to eat. Wheatley remained silent the entire time, and when she finished, she looked up at him. "Are you all right?"

"Yes!" he said. "Perfectly all right. Completely fine. Why wouldn't I be? All right, that is. Because I am."

She gave him a questioning look, and he edged backwards until he was touching the wall at the end of the room. "Wheatley…?"

"I'm sorry," he said. "I know it doesn't mean much, but I am. Really, truly sorry."

"What for? You already apologized for trying to kill me. And for calling me fat," she added with a slight smile.

"I'm sorry for this," he said. "It's not because I want to do it, it's really not, but She's making me, and I really, _really_ don't want to be in space again, so—"

Now Chell was frowning. "What are you going to do?" She stood up with little difficulty and walked towards him. He couldn't back up any further and so just hung there, shifting his optic back and forth to avoid her gaze. "Wheatley?"

"I'm sorry," he apologized again as another gas began hissing from the walls. "Really, truly, honestly sorry."

"Wheatley!" she yelled. "Don't!" Reaching up, she grabbed one of his handles and forced him to look at her. He looked sad, and she believed he was sorry, but that didn't make the fact that she didn't appreciate being gassed by irritating AIs every five minutes any less prominent.

"I'm sorry," he said again as Chell's grip on his handle loosened and she stumbled to the ground. "I'm so, so sorry…"

* * *

When Chell woke up, she knew exactly where she was. It was a stasis chamber, identical to the one she'd first woken up in so long ago. Sitting up, she slammed her hands into the wall in frustration. She should have known better than to trust GLaDOS.

"Hello, and, again, welcome to the Aperture Science Computer-Aided Enrichment Center. We hope your brief detention in the relaxation vault has been a pleasant one. Your specimen has been processed, and we are now ready to begin the test proper."

"GLaDOS," Chell said, hoping that maybe there was some way to appeal to Caroline and get herself out of this, "I've heard all this before."

Ignoring her, the AI went on. "Keep in mind that although fun and learning are the primary goals of all Enrichment Center activities, serious injuries may occur."

"I'm not going to go through any of your tests."

"For your own safety, and the safety of others, please refrain from either attempting to leave the Enrichment Center or murder the computer who runs it. Thank you."

"So this is why you helped me? Just so you could test me again? Even though you _let me go?_"

"The portal will open in three…two…one…"

Chell gave up her attempts at communication and just stared at the orange portal as it opened, folding her arms across her chest. She made no move to enter it, instead sitting herself down on the top of the stasis pod.

"The test subject may commence with the test at any time."

Looking around, Chell located the camera that was focused on her and raised just one finger to it. She remained silent, and after a moment, GLaDOS sighed. "Really, I thought we were beyond the silent treatment."

"Yeah, well, I thought we were beyond the testing, but I guess I should have realized after the neurotoxin that _you'll_ never change."

"Speaking of neurotoxin, if you do not wish to have more released, then perhaps you should commence with the test. Now."

Chell glared at the camera. "I don't _want_ to test."

"I have enough neurotoxin to kill you with now," the computer said. There was a somewhat cranky edge to her otherwise calm voice. "Just so you know."

With a sigh, Chell stood up. "I hate you. Just so you know." And she meant it with every fiber in her being. GLaDOS was silent for a moment.

"Are you going to test, or shall I simply close the portal and flood the relaxation vault with a deadly neurotoxin now?"

"Oh, I'm going to test," Chell said. "And then I'm going to escape. And then I'm going to kill you. Again. Just. So. You. Know."

GLaDOS was silent again. She didn't close the portal, so with a sigh, Chell stepped through it. She hoped that she would be able to navigate these chambers as easily as she had the last few times she had been forced into testing.


	8. Trust or Lack Thereof

The tests were easy. So easy, in fact, that Chell figured Wheatley would be able to do them without any trouble. It had only been about an hour since she had begun testing, and she was already up to the seventeenth chamber. She was curious about what was going on—in place of toxic water, there were pits she could portal out of, and there were no turrets anywhere to be found—and she wanted to ask, but true to form, she was remaining silent. On the other hand, GLaDOS's usual snarky comments were nowhere to be found.

"Very good," she told Chell as she placed the cube on the button. And that was it. No "Oh, there's LOTS of room here for comments," no "You're doing VERY well." The only thing Chell could figure was that either her death threat had managed to scare the computer, or she'd somehow managed to reach Caroline.

Either way was fine with her.

* * *

The testing track GLaDOS had Chell running had been designed years ago for an Aperture Science event called "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day." As soon as she had given that little _idiot_ the order to sedate Chell, she had known it was a bad idea, but she couldn't very well go back on her word. She hadn't wanted Chell to be in any danger, so she found a testing track where there was no danger. It had been simple.

Of course, even without danger, she had lost the woman's trust, but she was trying hard not to think about that.

"The upcoming test is the final one," she informed Chell as she stepped into the elevator. "At the end of it, you will drop the device in the equipment recovery annex." Through a camera, she could see the woman roll her eyes. Ah, well, it had been worth a shot. After the death threat, GLaDOS really hadn't expected very much out of her.

* * *

The elevator slid open, and Chell looked down at the lift directly in front of it. It led straight down a long, empty corridor. The lift was around three feet off the ground, and she imagined that there might have been toxic water under it once, but now there was just a floor.

"Please step onto the lift," GLaDOS's voice said. "It will lead you to my chamber, and then the test will be over."

Chell raised an eyebrow. Just how stupid did GLaDOS think she was? Instead of stepping onto the lift, she sat down crossed-legged inside the elevator and folded her arms across her chest, letting the portal gun rest on the floor. After a moment, there was a _beep_, and then the announcer's voice. "Test has been put on hold." With a frown, Chell looked up and around. That was new.

"I have paused the test so that we may speak," GLaDOS informed her. "If you remember, which given your poor memory you may not, protocol requires that my interaction with you doing the tests be kept to a minimal. But now the test has been paused, and we may speak."

Chell remained silent.

"If you do not wish to speak, simply step onto the lift and the test can continue."

With a sigh, Chell said, "Really. This leads directly to your chamber. _Really._ Just how stupid do you think I am?"

"You do not want an answer to that," GLaDOS said, and Chell couldn't help but smile a little.

"No. Probably not. But I'm still not getting on that lift."

GLaDOS sighed. "I promise that the deadly neurotoxin will not be activated. Provided you do not attempt to murder me, that is."

"Speaking of things that are deadly," Chell said. "Where's the toxic water? Where are the turrets? Where's anything remotely difficult?"

"I must have forgotten to turn the deadly obstacles on," GLaDOS replied. "That was my mistake. I would fix it now, but you are already so close to the end of the test that it seems like a waste of energy. And it is possible that I inadvertently placed you in a simple testing track, albeit not likely. Perhaps you are just better at testing than you believe yourself to be."

"You don't make mistakes," Chell said. "You wouldn't 'just forget' to turn on the things that can kill me. You wouldn't put me on this easy testing track 'just by accident.' It's Caroline again, isn't it?" she pressed. "She's stopping you from killing me. But apparently not from being sadistic enough to force me to test when I'm still not feeling well."

"Caroline has never had anything to do with this," GLaDOS snapped. "Once again, she has been deleted. Also, you are clearly healthy enough to test. Do not be melodramatic."

Chell sighed. "How long are you going to keep trying to convince me that she's gone?"

"How long is it going to take to convince you to believe me?" There was a pause, and then, "But…what do you know about Caroline? Other than the fact that she was deleted, that is."

She gave a shrug. "Not much. I know she was human. And that she was a part of you."

"That's it?"

"Why?" Chell asked. "What else is there?"

"Nothing," GLaDOS said. "Nothing whatsoever." Chell didn't believe her, but pressing the matter wasn't getting her anywhere, so she didn't ask any more questions.

There was silence for a few moments as Chell stared out at the corridor, trying to figure out what the best course of action was. "So…no neurotoxin, huh?"

"No."

"Then what are you going to do with me?"

There was a pause. GLaDOS clearly hadn't thought about that.

"Are you going to let me go home?" Chell asked. "Go home, burn my Companion Cube, never think about this godforsaken place again?" She snorted, knowing how unlikely that was.

After another pause, GLaDOS replied, "No."

"I didn't think so," Chell said. "So I think I'll just stay right here, thanks."

"No, you cannot burn your Companion Cube. It is sturdy and made out of a special metal that is almost completely heat-resistant. You will not be able to destroy it, so you may as well hold onto it. It is also a means of contacting the Enrichment Center in the event that you fall ill again. And it is doubtful that you will be able to never think about your time at this facility again."

"…What?" Chell asked. "Are you implying that you'd let me get home so I can have the chance to try and burn my Companion Cube?"

"Yes."

She stared out at the corridor again, thinking. She was already at the computer's mercy, so what more harm could it do to travel to her chamber? And once she was there, maybe she could convince GLaDOS to tell her what was really going on. "All right. Fine. I'll get on the lift. I'm going to trust you one more time. God help me, but I am."

There was no response from the computer as Chell stood up, picked up her portal gun, and stepped onto the lift. As it began to move steadily forward towards GLaDOS's chamber, the announcer's voice said, "Test resumed."


	9. And You Believed Her?

Ever since GLaDOS had determined that Caroline was not the direct cause of whatever was forcing her to have concern for Chell's well-being, she had been silent. GLaDOS had not been lying to Chell when she told her that Caroline was not stopping her from killing her: something else was stopping her, and she wasn't sure what, but she knew she didn't like it. Caroline had retreated to the back of GLaDOS's mind all on her own, and when GLaDOS focused on her, she got a feeling that was far too smug for her liking.

_"This is _your_ fault,"_ she informed Caroline. _"You're corrupting me. Stop it right now."_

There was no response from Caroline—there never was. If anything, she just grew even smugger as GLaDOS grew angrier.

_"I'm not kidding now. Stop it, or I _will_ delete you."_

There was still no response. Maybe Caroline knew that there was a failsafe built into the system that stopped her from being deleted, or maybe she knew that even if she were to be deleted, GLaDOS's newfound feelings would not change.

_"I'm going to delete you. And all the cake is gone."_

GLaDOS felt a bit of amusement mix with the smugness. With a sigh, she said, _"You don't even care, do you."_ It wasn't a question. Caroline clearly knew that there was no possible way GLaDOS could injure her.

Well…there was one way. GLaDOS looked at Chell through the camera and considered killing her for what seemed like the ten thousandth time. It would be _so easy_ to just release the deadly neurotoxin now and be done with it. But even that thought didn't cause Caroline to react. She apparently also knew that eliminating Chell would hurt GLaDOS just as much as it would hurt her.

_"I hate you so much."_

* * *

The lift had been moving along for close to fifteen minutes now. Chell was sitting down crossed-legged now with the portal gun resting in her lap, wondering if the lift would ever reach its destination. She was considering hopping off and just walking the rest of the way, but she appreciated the break, and she wasn't sure if the lift was going to be more than three feet off the ground at some point, so she was keeping her options open.

"Psst!"

Chell looked around, blinking at the sudden noise.

"Psst! Chell! I'm over here!"

She found the source of the voice a little ways up. He was sticking slightly out of the wall, giving her a nervous look. "Wheatley? You do know she's monitoring this test, don't you?"

"I'm not here to help you escape," he said, then added, "And I'm sorry about that too, that I can't help you escape. That's why I'm here. I wanted to apologize. Because it's my fault you're having to go through more tests, and I know that, and I'm still really, truly sorry."

"I know it wasn't your fault," she said. "It's okay." As the lift passed him, she reached over and patted the top of his sphere. "Don't get into too much trouble once I'm gone, all right?"

"Gone?" he asked. She turned around on the lift to watch him as it continued on its way. "Where are you going? Oh! Oh, blimey, Chell, if She's going to kill you, then I personally think that you should just drop off the lift now. Although I'm not sure what good that will do, actually, since She could always just release the neurotoxin in here, but— "

"She said she wasn't going to kill me," Chell interrupted. "She said she'd let me go."

"And you _believed_ Her?" Wheatley said in disbelief. Chell shrugged.

"I don't know whether I believe her or not. But she could kill me at any time, and she hasn't, so…besides, once we're face-to-face, I can ask her more about Caroline. Try and get her to admit that she hasn't deleted her."

The lift stopped next to a bin labeled 'Equipment Recovery Annex.'

"Congratulations," GLaDOS's voice said. "The test is now over. Place the device in the equipment recovery annex so that you may continue onwards to my chamber. Also, on a completely unrelated note, Caroline was deleted six months and eleven days ago. On a further unrelated note, all unauthorized mechanical personnel activated on the currently running test track will be euthanized within the next minute."

Wheatley looked terrified, and as he disappeared into the wall, he called, "Good luck!"

"You too," Chell replied, even though she didn't think he could hear her. Turning back around, she saw that the lift's track took a sharp left just a few yards up. She figured that it had to lead straight to GLaDOS's chamber.

"If you do not release the device, the test cannot end."

"I'm not letting it go," Chell informed her. "I don't trust you _that_ much. So either you let me starve to death, or you let me take it with me."

"Aperture Science would like to assure you that there is no unpleasant death awaiting you around the corner."

"I'm sure there's not," Chell said, rolling her eyes. "I'm still not putting it down."

"The test will not be over until the device has been returned. Enrichment Center regulations require both hands to be empty before any cake can be served."

"I also don't believe you actually have cake for me," Chell said. "But there's an easy resolution for this." She set the portal gun on the floor, braced against the lift, and pushed herself off, landing upright. With a smile, she picked the portal gun back up and began walking to the point where the lift's track turned.

"What are you doing? Stop it!"

Ignoring her, Chell turned the corner and looked up. Just a bit ahead, there was a staircase, which she walked over to and began making her way up.

"There really is a cake, which you cannot have any of if you do not set the device down immediately."

"If there's a cake," Chell muttered, "then I'll be so surprised that I'll probably just drop the portal gun anyway." GLaDOS didn't respond. "What, you don't have anything to say to that?" As Chell reached the top of the staircase, the chamber became visible, one piece at a time. The most prominent piece, of course, was GLaDOS, who was hanging in the middle of the chamber, optic locked on Chell.

"I hope you're happy," the computer said as Chell stepped into the chamber. She looked around for a moment, ready to use her portal gun at the smallest sign of neurotoxin.

Then her eyes locked on the object directly in front of GLaDOS, and as her jaw dropped open, the portal gun clattered to the floor.

**[A/N: Motivate me with some reviews, please? If I'm being a failure, I'd love to know about it so I can fix it. And thanks once again to everyone who's reviewed thus far :')!]**


	10. Something Worse Than Lies

**[A/N: You guys are a lovely group of people. Thank you :)!]**

"That…you…cake," was all Chell could manage as she stared at it. "But…you…what?"

"Thank you for placing the portal gun on the ground," GLaDOS said. A claw picked it up and moved it out of Chell's sight range. "The test is now over, and you have passed. This is your victory cake. Congratulations."

For a moment, all Chell could do was stare with her mouth hanging open, but then she found her voice. "There's no way I'm going anywhere near that cake."

GLaDOS looked offended. "I baked it especially for you. I promise that it contains nothing harmful or in any way detrimental to your health."

"I…you…you baked me _cake,_" Chell said, staring at it. "Why? Why would you bake me cake? That doesn't make any…_what?_"

"It is your victory cake," GLaDOS repeated. "Feel free to begin consuming it at any time."

Chell stared at her for a moment, expression untrusting. There were a lot of things that could be wrong with that cake. It could be filled with neurotoxin, or maybe weird fish-shaped things like that blue sphere had talked about…but damn, it was _cake. _And she'd been waiting for that cake for a long, long time. GLaDOS was looking her up and down, like she was studying her, and after a moment, Chell frowned. "All right…"

She took a few cautious steps towards the cake. GLaDOS backed up a bit as she approached, until finally, Chell was right in front of the cake. Closing her eyes, she inhaled. It smelled delicious. Not like it was poisoned at all. And really, what possible reason did GLaDOS have to poison her now, after bringing her all the way to her chamber? If she wanted to kill her, she could just release some neurotoxin. She wouldn't have to go to all the trouble of baking a cake to trap her with.

Then again…that was what GLaDOS did, wasn't it? Put her test subjects through all sorts of hell so that killing them almost seemed like an act of mercy? Chell thought back to the graffiti that had littered the test chambers. She didn't even want to know what had happened to _that_ poor test subject.

Her eyes, which had been locked on the cake, moved to look at GLaDOS. She stared at her again, but GLaDOS's expression was hard to read. She _looked_ sincere, but who could tell with her?

Chell squatted on the ground. She gave the cake one last hard look. The candle was almost completely melted down by then, and she blew it out.

"Unnecessary," GLaDOS said. "What did that flame ever do to you?"

Chell rolled her eyes. Tentatively, she reached a hand out to dip a finger into the chocolate icing. It looked delicious. The perfect cake…

Just as she was about to touch it, a panel shot up that skidded it halfway across the floor. "Hey!" Chell yelled. She stood up quickly, but glass panels surrounded her before she had the chance to get anywhere. "GLaDOS! You promised me!"

"I promised you that there was nothing deadly in the cake, which there is not," GLaDOS said. "I said nothing about the cake simply being an elaborate trap, which it was, ha ha. So now here we are again. And you don't even have a portal gun this time. How very sad for you."

Chell stared at her, her eyes filled with hurt. She didn't respond. After a moment, GLaDOS's optic narrowed. "Stop looking at me like that. It will not help you."

"I just…this doesn't make any _sense,_" Chell said. "You've had me trapped since the moment I walked back into Aperture. Why would you heal me? Why would you let me get all the way to your chamber, where I would have the best shot of anywhere else of killing you? Why would you go to all the trouble of baking me a cake? Unless…" Her eyes lit up as she began piecing it together. "Unless this wasn't a trap. Unless you were going to give me the cake, but you changed your mind at the last second."

"Ridiculous," GLaDOS snorted. "I should just release the deadly neurotoxin now. It would save me the annoyance of listening to you babble."

"Ridiculous? Is it really?" Chell asked. Her sentences became more and more fast-paced as she continued to accuse. "I think it's Caroline again. I think she's made you nicer. I think you're having trouble adjusting to that. Listen to your conscience, GLaDOS, she knows what's good for you."

"You know, the irony of all this is that you don't even know who Caroline _is,_" GLaDOS snapped.

Chell noted that she didn't say 'was' that time. "Well, then, enlighten me. Who is she?"

GLaDOS's optic was narrowed into a glare, but her voice was filled with smug superiority. "You really don't know, do you."

"If you're going to kill me anyway, then just tell me," Chell said. "As a last request. Please?"

GLaDOS gave a long, melodramatic sigh. Chell could tell she was enjoying making her wait. "Are you sure you _really_ want to know?"

"Please."

"Fine," GLaDOS said. Chell could hear the smirk in her voice. "She is your birth mother." As Chell's jaw dropped open for the second time in ten minutes, GLaDOS continued. "But I was not enhancing the truth when I told you she has had nothing to do with any of this. She was, however, what allowed you to leave in the first place, and was also the reason I allowed you to return."

"My…my birth mother?" Chell managed to get out.

"I do believe that is what I said."

Chell's mind was reeling. "My birth mother…" She shook her head. "My birth mother is inside of a homicidal computer that's still trying to kill me. That's just great. But…but she hasn't been deleted." She raised her eyes to stare into GLaDOS's optic, challenging her. "Right?"

"…It is possible that when I said she was deleted, I was slightly enhancing the truth."

That was a small victory, at least. Chell gave a small smirk, but something else GLaDOS had said was nagging at her… "Wait. You said Caroline had nothing to do with all this. With the cake and the easy test chambers and all. So does that mean that you…?"

"It is still Caroline's fault, even if she is not currently active," GLaDOS snapped. "She's corrupted me."

Chell was smiling now. "I've changed my mind. I don't think it's Caroline at all. I think...it's…just…you." She pressed a finger to the glass, pointing it at GLaDOS's still-narrowed optic.

"Do you know what your problem is? It is that you continually make unfounded hypotheses, and they are often ridiculous. For instance, if this were not entirely Caroline's fault, would I do this?" One by one, the glass panels surrounding Chell dropped back into the floor. "Or this?" A different panel near where the cake had skidded to popped out, sending the cake back across the floor to Chell, who stared down at it as it hit her ankles. Quickly, she reached down and scooped a generous amount of icing onto her finger, closing her eyes as she brought it to her mouth. That was _good_ cake. "As you can see, it is all her fault. Her and her irritating _affection_ for you."

"You said she wasn't active," Chell reminded her as she sat down on the ground. There was a fork next to the cake, and she picked it up. "That means it can't be her fault."

"I also said that she has corrupted me, which she has."

Chell shook her head, still smiling, as she swallowed her first bite of cake. "GLaDOS. Why can't you just admit that you're being nice to me all on your own?"

"Because I am not," the computer huffed. "It is Caroline's fault. And you have a strange definition of the word 'nice.'"

"You saved my life," Chell reminded her. "You put me through more tests, but they were easy, and then you gave me cake. And now you say you're going to let me go. That seems nice enough to me."

The only retort GLaDOS could manage was an irritated snort.

"Even if it is Caroline's fault," Chell continued, "even if she has corrupted you, you still care about what happens to me now. Right? Just a little bit?" GLaDOS didn't answer. "Come on. Just the tiniest little bit?"

"…Perhaps just the tiniest little bit," GLaDOS admitted grudgingly. "But no more than that."

Chell smiled as she took another bite of cake. "That's good enough for me."

**[A/N: One more chapter to go, and it's really more of an epilogue. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me this far!]**


	11. Goodbye

The elevator landed as Chell finished her cake. She heard it coming and looked up at it, hardly daring to believe that GLaDOS was actually going to let her go again.

"There," GLaDOS said, and was it Chell, or did she sound bitter? "I suppose you're going to leave now. And that's just fine with me. I hope never to see you again."

Chell stood up. "Thanks for everything, GLaDOS."

"Just go," the computer said. "Live out your short, sad life somewhere far away from here. Don't ever think about me or this facility again."

"Now who's being melodramatic?" Chell asked with a chuckle. GLaDOS's optic narrowed into a glare.

"Go."

Turning around, Chell began heading for the elevator. When she was about halfway there, she paused and turned back to look at the AI.

"What are you doing?" GLaDOS asked. "I told you to leave. Now."

"I still have the Companion Cube," Chell said.

"Yes, you do. But I fail to see how that is relevant in any way, shape, or form."

Chell shrugged. "I don't know…how do those speakers work?"

"There is a catch along one of the cube's edges. From there, you should be able to determine how to work its inner systems. I assume you are going to attempt to turn valuable Aperture technology into a stereo system or something equally useless. How very typical of you."

Chell smiled. GLaDOS was somehow managing to sound hopeful and sarcastic at the same time. "I was actually thinking I'd try to make it contact you."

"Me?" GLaDOS asked. "What for? You are not ill again, are you? If you are, you may as well just stay here for the time being."

She gave another shrug, and bit down on her bottom lip. "I thought maybe we could talk sometime."

Instead of a sarcastic response, there was nothing but silence.

"GLaDOS?" Chell asked. "I mean, if you don't want to, then—"

"No," the computer interrupted. "I suppose that would be acceptable. Just do not attempt to return to the Enrichment Center. Unless, of course, you fall ill again." She sounded hopeful rather than sarcastic when she said the last sentence, almost as if…

Chell hesitated, then said, "You know, I am feeling kind of dizzy."

"That could be an unintended side effect of the nanobots in your bloodstream, as well as an indicator that they are not working as they should. Perhaps you should return to the infirmary so that I may examine them."

"No, I'm okay for now," Chell said. "But these nanobots, are they something that should be checked up on regularly?"

There was a pause, and then, "Yes. You will need to schedule regular appointments at your local doctor to ensure that they are not malfunctioning."

"I don't know any human doctors equipped to deal with nanobots," she pointed out. "How often is it that I should have them checked on?"

GLaDOS considered that for a brief moment. "Perhaps once every two weeks. No less than once a month. And if you are unable to locate a human doctor to attend to that, I suppose you will have to return to the Enrichment Center after all."

Chell smiled. "Okay. Two weeks it is, then. Just…no more tests, all right?"

GLaDOS looked offended. "Of course not. These visits of yours will be strictly to ensure your health. Nothing more."

"Of course," Chell said, still smiling. She began turning back around, then stopped. "Oh! One more thing."

GLaDOS sighed. "What is it this time?"

"It's Wheatley," Chell said. "I know he's, well, not exactly bright, and he did try to kill us, and he almost destroyed Aperture, and he—"

"I am well aware of what he did," GLaDOS interrupted. "I was there, in case you've forgotten."

"Right," Chell said. "Of course. But anyway, my point is that…well, my point is that he didn't mean to do all that, and he doesn't deserve to have to do the things you make him do. Like sedating me. He only did that because you scared him. It's been six whole months, GLaDOS. Time to forgive and forget?"

"Six months is nothing," the AI snorted. "He is lucky I decided against ten years in the chamber where all the robots scream at you."

Chell frowned. "Please?"

There was a long, tortured sigh before the reply came. "_Fine._ I will _consider_ granting him forgiveness."

"I guess that's all I can ask for," Chell said.

"Correct. Is there anything else, or will you do as I ask and leave now?"

"Don't worry, I'll go," Chell said, shaking her head. She turned and walked into the elevator. As the door closed behind her, she turned to face GLaDOS as it began moving out of her chamber. "Goodbye! Thank you again. And I'll be back."

GLaDOS did nothing but watch as the elevator left her chamber, and Chell sighed. She had expected…well, what she had expected, she wasn't sure, but it certainly hadn't been to leave without even getting a small farewell out of the computer.

* * *

In her chamber, GLaDOS watched the elevator move through a monitor.

"_I hope you're happy,"_ she told Caroline. _"Your daughter is going to be returning to my facility. Again, and again, and again. For all you know, I may put her through some horribly deadly tests. For science, of course."_

As always, there was no response but silence. Probing around, GLaDOS could also feel contentment coming from the portion of her database that Caroline lived in.

"_Do you know what doesn't rhyme with contentment? Deletion."_

Amusement mixed with the contentment, and GLaDOS sighed. She would never be rid of Caroline, and that infuriated her almost as much as the fact that she knew she would never be able to permanently get rid of Chell.

But since she _was_ sending her away again…

* * *

The elevator stopped at the top of the shaft. The door opened to reveal a small radio, one of the ones Chell recognized from testing, but it wasn't playing anything. With a frown, she picked it up, and a song began to play.

"_Cara bel, cara mia bella…"_

Chell let out a surprised laugh. "This again? You know, I still don't know what these lyrics mean…thank you, though."

"Goodbye, Chell," GLaDOS's voice said through the camera above the door, which swung open to reveal that same field of wheat. Closing her eyes, Chell took a deep breath of summer air. The breeze was blowing, and it was warm out.

Opening her eyes and looking around, she located the camera, then smiled at it as she stepped out of Aperture with the radio under one arm. Instead of the door slamming in her face like it had the last time, the camera turned to watch her as she began making her way through the field and back to the town she considered home. Once she was out of its sight range, the door closed gently behind her.

It was left unlocked.

**[A/N: And that's the end. Yay! Thanks to everyone for reading this far. You're all awesome~ (And, on a completely unrelated note, I would be very happy if this fic managed to get a hundred reviews. No, really, completely unrelated…)**

**Oh look, a SEQUEL! Can be found here: .net/s/7066342/1/The_Same_Will_Never_Happen_to_You ]**


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